Maritime Update
The EAASP Maritime Group have members from a large number of countries across Europe who work in the challenging and developing maritime sector. The involvement of these members in bringing experience and best practice from their major ports which include: Rotterdam, Southampton, Valletta, St Petersburg, Ghent and Gibraltar is a vital element in the progression of the aims and objectives of the Associations Maritime Group.
The Maritime Group are increasingly being invited to participate in working groups across Europe and to assist in the dissemination of best practice. This section of the web pages will be used to give a brief update on the areas of interest that the group are currently engaged in. Full details are disseminated to the Association members seperately.
Project work
The Maritime Group are currently engaged as end users /expert advisors in the development of a system which can be used to identify the threats from ships using networked sensors under EU framework 7 proposals. This developmental work is being completed in conjunction with the major international known Defence Technology company Qinetiq and will look to co-ordinate preparation towards a European capability in identifying vessels entering port authority areas which may present a security, criminal or environmental threat. The Association will be looking to provide experience and end user opportunities to organisations representing countries from Malta, Gibraltar, United Kingdom, Holland and Norway / Sweden.
The EAASP Maritime section have also been approached to consider further FP7 developmental work as end users looking at the development of scanning and detection equipment for materials, persons, drugs, CBRN substances etc.
European Commission
Currently the Maritime group attends bi-monthly meetings in Brussels as a member of SAGMaS (Stakeholder Advisory Group on Maritime Security) at the direct invitiation of DG TREN, European Commission. The SAGMaS group meets immediately before the main Commission Maritime Security Group ( MARSEC) and are invited to discuss and debate all new legislation that may affect the maritime industry as a whole. The SAGMaS group is attended by a large number of major influential bodies which include;
European Maritime Safety Agency, European SEaports Organisation, FEPORT, European Community shipowners Association, European Cruise council, European Harbour Masters Association, European shippers' Council, Medcruise, European Express Association and European Federation of Inland Ports.
MARSEC are increasingly recognising the value of the SAGMaS group and this is reflected by the large number of MARSEC members attending the SAGMaS meetings to engage with the stakeholders in identifying soultions to the main issues affecting security in the maritime environment. The EAASP are seen by the European Commission as a vital conduit in the discussion of security issues in the European Maritime portal areas and are the only policing body represented at these meetings.
Minutes from these meetings are disseminated directly to EAASP Maritime members for their information and due consideration for future developmental issues within the SAGMaS group.
Maritime Intelligence
The EAASP Maritime Group have submitted a report to the European Commission concerning the lack of credible systems in the dissemination of information or intelligence within the maritime sector. This is an issue which exists not just between Police forces across Europe but also from civilian organisations to their respective counterparts across europe or even between Police and civilian agencies. The introduction of the ISPS codes and the ongoing development and implementation of new and improved initiatives across Europe have been a challenge to many organisations in addressing security. The EAASP assess that by imposing these requirements there clearly will have been an increase in what we did not already know and an identification of issues which could be deemed to be of a serious security risk or indeed a trend in crime which, if disseminated appropriately would benefit all involved in Portal and maritime security.
Throughout europe there are sources of intelligence and information in the maritime environment but this information is not assessed, analysed and disseminated in a coherent way. In addition there are information sources that would significantly inform the policing tasks that are not used or that are not as integrated as they should be and this has led on a number of occaisions, to both crime and security opportunities for interdiction or intelligence gathering not being exploited. The EAASP maritime group believe that it is important to identify the method by which the operational resources available are tasked appropriately and exploit the opportunities that are identified.
We are currently awaiting the official response from the European Commission on this report.
The EAASP Maritime group are keen to hear from partner organisations both Police and civilian that have newsletters or information bulletins that can be disseminated by our intelligence co-ordinator to members of the Association or other professional groups within SAGMaS. These bulletins can be sent to the maritime secretary in the first instance;
Mission statement
